Delta Air Lines expects to hit its original 2026 targets. Even though fuel prices are all over the place. Management seems confident, maybe too confident for how volatile things usually are. They are banking on efficiency to absorb the shocks. Or just hoping the best happens.
Skift’s take on AI in 2026
Data is everywhere. The Skift Data + AI Summit wrapped up recently. They shared ten big takeaways about the front lines of travel tech. Strategy is shifting fast. Agents, search tools, and personalization are the new battlegrounds. But scaling it all? That’s the hard part. Most companies have the ambition. Few have the architecture.
Real insight isn’t in the buzzwords, it’s in the execution gap.
Haaland isn’t saving Norway
Haaland mania is intense. Really intense. It won’t actually move the needle for Norwegian tourism though. The people who come? They are the ones Norway is already pushing away with prices. High costs filter out casual fans. Only the wealthy remain. So the stadium might be full, but the local economy feels it differently. Not everyone can afford to see Erling.
Hopper gets the boot… again
Expedia dropped Hopper as a partner in 2023. That lasted about 17 months before they parted ways. The issue was deceptive practices. Well, the U.S. FTC just reached a similar conclusion. Hopper paid a $35 million settlement. It hurts their reputation twice. First from a big industry player. Now from the government. Consistency isn’t Hopper’s friend right now.
Booking goes B2B
Booking Holdings is making a play in the B2B space. Ageda’s CEO is leading this new unit. They have to catch up to Expedia. That’s an uphill fight. Consolidating into one unit makes sense though. It creates focus. Might actually work. The competition just got louder.
Will it be enough to shake up the market? Probably not immediately. But it’s a signal. Something is stirring in the booking wars. Quietly, it continues.
